Pardon Our Dust
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Agriculture
SPECTRUM NEWS: New numbers show agriculture is top industry in N.C.
Soybean, corn and peanuts are major crops in North Carolina. More than 400 million pounds of peanuts are produced each year, making the state the fifth largest producer in the country.
Economic Development
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER: Business group proposes new revenue for RDU, including more local taxpayer support
Leaders of the Triangle’s business community are redoubling their efforts to find new sources of revenue for Raleigh-Durham International Airport, potentially to include larger contributions from local taxpayers.
Education
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER: CDC now says vaccinated people don’t need masks in schools. Will NC make it optional?
New federal health guidance is putting pressure on North Carolina to ease its school face mask requirement before most students return for classes in August. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance on Friday saying fully vaccinated students and teachers don’t have to wear face masks in school. The CDC is only recommending continued masking of unvaccinated people in schools, which would include all students in elementary schools.
FOX 8: NC university clears tuition debt for nearly 1,500 students
Fayetteville State University has used pandemic relief funds to clear $1.6 million in tuition debt for nearly 1,500 students. The Fayetteville Observer reported Sunday that the historically Black school utilized money from the federal legislation that’s known as the American Rescue Plan.
Government
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER: More changes for Cooper administration as second coronavirus response leader leaves
Erik A. Hooks, secretary of the Department of Public Safety, announced Wednesday he is retiring effective Aug. 1. The news comes within days of retiring Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry’s replacement being named. It also comes as the proposed Senate budget would split up Hooks’ department.
TRIAD BUSINESS JOURNAL: Cheaper to the core: NC ranks among nations lowest corporate tax rates
According to Location Matters and KMPG, North Carolina ranks among the nation’s most business-friendly in corporate tax rate structure.
Health Care
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER: Kids are susceptible to delta variant. What should we do?
Thanks to the rise of the delta variant, preventing younger children from spreading coronavirus is vital as they return to school, experts say. While children remain at lower risk of becoming hospitalized from COVID-19, they are at higher risk of spreading the more contagious delta variant. That’s because the variant is most likely to spread among unvaccinated individuals, said state epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore.
Politics
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER: 4 NC candidates report their fundraising in Senate race. Where do they stand?
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley raised $1.28 million in her first eight weeks in the race, making her the second North Carolina Democrat to post a million-dollar fundraising quarter for the 2022 campaign.
Transportation
FOX 8: Greensboro neighborhood wants to fix speeding problem
People in one Greensboro neighborhood are trying to dodge a tragedy as drivers are speeding past their houses.